Newsroom
OSCE Mission organizes study visit for Serbian officials to the Special Court for Sierra Leone
BELGRADE 14 December 2007
BELGRADE, 14 December 2007 - Senior officials from Serbia's judicial institutions for war crimes and Serbian journalists took part in an OSCE-organized study visit to Sierra Leone's Special Court and Truth and Reconciliation Commission this week.
During the seven-day visit, organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, several members of the Serbian War Crimes Chamber and the War Crimes Prosecutors office shared practices with their Sierra Leone counterparts in dealing with the serious crimes that have followed years of conflict in both countries.
"Whether trying people from the former Yugoslavia or warlords from Sierra Leone, the message of the growing number of war crimes trials in the world is the same - such crimes must not go unpunished," said Bogdan Stankovic, Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor of the Republic in Serbia and a member of the delegation in Sierra Leone.
On Wednesday, the delegation met representatives of 30 local victims' networks, including associations of rape victims, war amputees, child victims, ex-combatants, human rights organizations and other grassroots non-governmental organizations.
The delegation took part in two of the Special Court's outreach events: a visit to a local village and a meeting with students in a Freetown high school.
The Serbian officials also met the Special Court's President, the Chief Prosecutor, Judges and other officials who briefed them on the work of the Special Court.
"We are operating in two very different countries, but we share the common goal of bringing justice to victims and I see that we also have very similar challenges in doing so," said Judge Gelaga King, President of the Sierra Leone Special Court.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.
During the seven-day visit, organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, several members of the Serbian War Crimes Chamber and the War Crimes Prosecutors office shared practices with their Sierra Leone counterparts in dealing with the serious crimes that have followed years of conflict in both countries.
"Whether trying people from the former Yugoslavia or warlords from Sierra Leone, the message of the growing number of war crimes trials in the world is the same - such crimes must not go unpunished," said Bogdan Stankovic, Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor of the Republic in Serbia and a member of the delegation in Sierra Leone.
On Wednesday, the delegation met representatives of 30 local victims' networks, including associations of rape victims, war amputees, child victims, ex-combatants, human rights organizations and other grassroots non-governmental organizations.
The delegation took part in two of the Special Court's outreach events: a visit to a local village and a meeting with students in a Freetown high school.
The Serbian officials also met the Special Court's President, the Chief Prosecutor, Judges and other officials who briefed them on the work of the Special Court.
"We are operating in two very different countries, but we share the common goal of bringing justice to victims and I see that we also have very similar challenges in doing so," said Judge Gelaga King, President of the Sierra Leone Special Court.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.